Fantastic, absolutly fantastic. A little short or the campaign side but it ozzes so much replayility it makes up for it. The worse part of this game is that it makes the wait for Halo 5 that much harder.

This game is not bad at all. No it does not revolutionize gaming but for a 60 dollar price point you will not be disappointed. Graphics are one of the best on this aging console and the music and sound is spectacular. The campaign is a bit on the short side but the multiplater really shines and you will be playing it for hours on end especially if you have a good group of friends to play with.

The critics seemed to fall head over heels over this game; the fact of the matter is that it is a GOOD game, but not a GREAT one. I feel that it is a 'safe' sequel, one that doesn't deviate from anybody's expectations. Here lies the problem, FPS has evolved exponentially in the last couple of years. Sure, HALO 4 has the best graphics since UNCHARTED 3, but heck, it's no different fromThe critics seemed to fall head over heels over this game; the fact of the matter is that it is a GOOD game, but not a GREAT one. I feel that it is a 'safe' sequel, one that doesn't deviate from anybody's expectations. Here lies the problem, FPS has evolved exponentially in the last couple of years. Sure, HALO 4 has the best graphics since UNCHARTED 3, but heck, it's no different from COD with its scripted events, and fast paced gun play. If you want innovation, try DISHONORED instead. Still a good buy though; but don't expect anything more.…Expand

Halo 4 is absolutely a visually stunning game. The graphics are completely beautiful, the worlds look and feel real, and the new enemies, though there are only really three, at least interesting to look at. That being said, even on legendary, the campaign is painfully, woefully, short. I would almost classify it an EPIC failure. When you can turn on the Tough Luck skull and complete aHalo 4 is absolutely a visually stunning game. The graphics are completely beautiful, the worlds look and feel real, and the new enemies, though there are only really three, at least interesting to look at. That being said, even on legendary, the campaign is painfully, woefully, short. I would almost classify it an EPIC failure. When you can turn on the Tough Luck skull and complete a board like Requiem in a little over a half an hour, there is something wrong. The odd thing about Halo 4 is that the plot and story line are arguably the best in the series thus far, save the possible exception of Halo: Reach. But the new ancient evil awakened, the Didact does not inspire fear or foreboding and you never truly get to battle him. The re-imagined grunts still look ridiculous, and I want to know what happened to the skirmishers and Brutes. I feel like there was so much of the Halo universe left untapped by the game that I can only describe my feelings about it as disappointed. The game is a rehash of the same boards over and over and over again. Massive boards that you often travel through both ways and face the same enemies over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. the AI (Game level, not Cortana) is weak at best. You can sit in certain spots on certain boards and head shot enemies until they perish without them ever moving. Glitches like this stand out far more than the beauty of the worlds that 343I created. The magnum has returned as a great, and viable option for reeking mayhem both in the campaign, on Spartan Ops and in the multi-player game, so I was pretty stoked about that. Another big disappointment is the score. There are none of the hauntingly beautiful melodies from the original trilogy or driving beats to get the blood pumping for bigger battles. As a Halo veteran whose first game on the original Xbox was Combat Evolved, I was really hoping to get back to the core of why I was a Halo fan in the first place. Halo 2 was a huge disappointment as the focus seemed to shift to the online universe. I truly hoped Halo 4 would get back to that innovation and creativity. The first level, in my opinion, does exactly that and really raised my hopes that whole game was going to be more than just running and gunning. The interactions between Cortana and Master Chief, the different parts of the board where you have to climb or kill an elite made me overly optimistic. If the game continued the way it started, I think it could have been something special. At the end of the day, though, i was as disappointed in Halo 4 as I was with the weak storyline in Black Ops 1.…Expand

Amazing game. In my opinion the best campaign since the original. Not much else to say other than if you're a FPS fan and own a 360 GET THIS GAME. It has a great compelling story, awesome skill based gameplay and what I can only describe as the best graphics of any console game I've seen yet..

This game is a disgrace to the series. Please support Halo 2 Anniversary. It's our only hope as 343i has let us down. Do not buy Halo 5 because it's clear they have killed halo. Only support past title remakes!

Well reason I gave a low rating was that this game felt like an alienation to actual Halo storyline. Not only did it greatly contradict the other storylines it just felt cluttered and jumbled. Honestly 343 should have spent a better time reviewing the storyline before it decided to adopt Halo as its new money baby. now they are just makeing the story for the money. It shows with lack ofWell reason I gave a low rating was that this game felt like an alienation to actual Halo storyline. Not only did it greatly contradict the other storylines it just felt cluttered and jumbled. Honestly 343 should have spent a better time reviewing the storyline before it decided to adopt Halo as its new money baby. now they are just makeing the story for the money. It shows with lack of detail in the Covies and just the general graphics that are dulled by the immense glare on everything. [this was the first game i had turn down the brightness cause everything was TOO shiny]. By all means this is a great first person shooter game but in no way is this a great Halo. i personally will not be buying anymore Halos unless 343 can improve.…Expand

Terrible. 343 killed Halo. Buy Halo 3 instead.
If you are a long time Halo fan, you will hate this. It is just a casual noob fest that has been made too much like call of duty. They have removed all competitive elements and ruined the classic halo gameplay.

Best Call of Duty Game Ever! ... wait.... Halo? are you sure? I'm pretty sure that useless loadouts and button mashing 'kill the bad guy' cut-scenes are a call of duty thing. Those bastards!!! Don't get me wrong the cinematics were great, the sound quality was eerily near realistic, and the musical score made me feel warm and fuzzy. But that does not give 343 industries license to pull aBest Call of Duty Game Ever! ... wait.... Halo? are you sure? I'm pretty sure that useless loadouts and button mashing 'kill the bad guy' cut-scenes are a call of duty thing. Those bastards!!! Don't get me wrong the cinematics were great, the sound quality was eerily near realistic, and the musical score made me feel warm and fuzzy. But that does not give 343 industries license to pull a George Lucas and mess with something that was perfect. So this goes into the cannon of pop culture which i will convince myself don't exist like the last three episodes of Star Wars, AC/DC's Black Ice album, the last Indiana Jones movie and Spider Man 3. Seriously if I wanted my Multi-player experience to be like Call of Duty I would have stood outside in line for two hours for the midnight release and shelled out $60 for COD.…Expand

Well, I bought my brazilian copy of the game (i live in Brazil) and the thing that RUINED my experience was playing the game with the Portuguese audio and NOT HAVING THE OPTION TO HAVE ENGLISH DUBS. Changing the settings in my Xbox didn't give me access to the English voice actors and the multiplayer announcer, wich made me really DISAPPOINTED with the most expected game of 2012. The gameWell, I bought my brazilian copy of the game (i live in Brazil) and the thing that RUINED my experience was playing the game with the Portuguese audio and NOT HAVING THE OPTION TO HAVE ENGLISH DUBS. Changing the settings in my Xbox didn't give me access to the English voice actors and the multiplayer announcer, wich made me really DISAPPOINTED with the most expected game of 2012. The game had to have the sound in English. Im giving it a 0, because of the time and money WASTED and the lack of thought from the Microsoft and 343i about non-speaking english countries. THIS GAME IS TERRIBLE WITHOUT ORIGINAL ENGLISH VOICES!!! DO NOT BUY HALO 4!…Expand

I want to love this game I really do it's just ... just. Where do I begin?

The story isn't bad don't get me wrong and playing campaign is pretty fun as well. But it feels off, it doesn't feel like a halo game yet a game that was in mid development and kinda just threw in characters from halo in there at the last second.
So campaign: Pretty decent.
And where my main problem is theI want to love this game I really do it's just ... just. Where do I begin?

The story isn't bad don't get me wrong and playing campaign is pretty fun as well. But it feels off, it doesn't feel like a halo game yet a game that was in mid development and kinda just threw in characters from halo in there at the last second.
So campaign: Pretty decent.
And where my main problem is the multi-player. Why is it trying to be so complex? It's just multiplayer doesn't need a story. That's not even the problem though. The problem is how it feels closer to call of duty then anything. I mean instant respawns, kill streaks, and classes. I just miss the old halo feeling.
Multiplayer: Awful.
As a person that loved all the halo games I hate to say this but I doubt I'll be getting another halo game in the future. Never before in all of the halos I've played did the multiplayer turn me off so badly.…Expand

Graphics are pretty good, best for Xbox. Alien AI is awful, they dance about from side to side & trying to aim on them is a complete joke. I expect this on legendary, NOT normal. Guns are boring & totally useless. U often get a close range gun for distant enemy's, & a meaty slow loading one for cqc. Constant running out of ammo hence dying lots. Very repetitive levels & generally boring.Graphics are pretty good, best for Xbox. Alien AI is awful, they dance about from side to side & trying to aim on them is a complete joke. I expect this on legendary, NOT normal. Guns are boring & totally useless. U often get a close range gun for distant enemy's, & a meaty slow loading one for cqc. Constant running out of ammo hence dying lots. Very repetitive levels & generally boring. You will destroy a controller playing this game! Nice music tho, none of that guitar crap from previous games.
The infuriating end to halo 2 is what this game is. Over & over & over again. Big disappointment & my last Xbox game. Had enough of shooter games now. Halo ce was the best the. Series went down the pan
4/10…Expand

Halo used to distance itself from other shooters like COD and Battlefield. It wasn't necessarily better, just different. However, Halo 4 ruins that tradition. Halo 4 borrows too many mechanics from COD and Battlefield and loses sight of what made the previous Halo games so great. Halo 4 has a campaign that looks great but is simple, predictable, tedious, and ultimately too short. TheHalo used to distance itself from other shooters like COD and Battlefield. It wasn't necessarily better, just different. However, Halo 4 ruins that tradition. Halo 4 borrows too many mechanics from COD and Battlefield and loses sight of what made the previous Halo games so great. Halo 4 has a campaign that looks great but is simple, predictable, tedious, and ultimately too short. The campaign tries to create a story that the player can get emotionally invested in, but it just doesn't work. That being said, most people play Halo for the multiplayer. Is the multiplayer fun? No, not really. It no longer means anything to have a BR because now everyone can spawn with a BR if they so choose. That is not Halo. Players can customize their starting loadout for matches, which seems like a good idea at first.... then you realize that this makes the game inherently unfair; people will start the game with advantages that others do not have. That is not Halo. If you are doing better in a game, you get rewarded with weapon drops. This may make sense to those who are familiar with COD, but, once again, this is not Halo. But what about the graphics in Halo 4? Aren't they amazing? No, not really. I don't understand why people are gushing about them. First of all, graphics take the back seat behind story and gameplay. Second of all, what game isn't good looking nowadays? Third of all, the new look to Halo 4 is... well... annoying. Everything is all bright and reflective, just for the sake of showcasing the graphics, but I think most people will agree with me when I say I want to be able to SEE my radar and the people I am shooting. Finally, the controls for Halo 4 are very annoying. Did you use the "recon" configuration in Halo Reach like I did? Well, have fun using X to sprint instead of left bumper. In conclusion, I was very disapointed with Halo 4. I wouldn't buy it. Maybe rent it.…Expand

There is a lot of positive stuff about this game but what really irritates me is this : WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY GOLD TO PLAY SPARTAN OPS OFFLINE!?! This mentality at M$ earns this game a 1/10. It's outright disgusting. Costco will be taking my game back. I am not paying 60 $ to HAVE to pay another membership just to play OFFLINE! If I want to play online I can do it for free on my PS3 or playThere is a lot of positive stuff about this game but what really irritates me is this : WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY GOLD TO PLAY SPARTAN OPS OFFLINE!?! This mentality at M$ earns this game a 1/10. It's outright disgusting. Costco will be taking my game back. I am not paying 60 $ to HAVE to pay another membership just to play OFFLINE! If I want to play online I can do it for free on my PS3 or play for XBL Gold... but now you guys are going to start charging for play Spartan Ops offline?!? I MEAN WHAT THE HELL??? It's not like this mode was not playable solo or local splitscreen... it is! If you start requesting Gold for this there is no end to your greed. Keep your video game. If I want to play it I'll wait for a price drop I am not paying full price to be ripped like this. Gosh even MW2 and MW3 special ops were all playable splitscreen... Black Ops can even have local splitscreen / LAN matches!?! Seriously shame on you Micro$oft and 343.…Expand

This is a decent game. If you've never played any Halo games, or are a Call of Duty fan, go ahead and pick this up. However; if you're a Halo fan and you haven't bought this yet, DON'T DO IT. I was very excited to see 343 pick up where Bungie left off, hoping they could add their own flavor and fun to it. There are a few new features that are cool: the aesthetics of the game are great,This is a decent game. If you've never played any Halo games, or are a Call of Duty fan, go ahead and pick this up. However; if you're a Halo fan and you haven't bought this yet, DON'T DO IT. I was very excited to see 343 pick up where Bungie left off, hoping they could add their own flavor and fun to it. There are a few new features that are cool: the aesthetics of the game are great, the shield perk and the jetstrafe perk are pretty cool, the ability to make your hologram teabag is downright genius, players can join games in progress, custom armor is pretty cool. These features, though, do not outweigh the negatives that this game brings. Firstly: Cortana, what the hell? Previously, she was a likable character who was smart and sometimes would provide useful info or witty remarks. She is now a stereotypical damsel in distress who looks like a naked 14 year-old girl. Secondly, the campaign is very generic. It was cool to go to a new planet with a new enemy, but those enemies are incredibly BORING. I played on Legendary, and you literally just shoot, hide, repeat against the enemies. They aim well and hit hard, but have no tactical reasoning and they seem to be leashed to about 100ft of their spawn. Lastly, and worst of all, is the multiplayer. I hoped and hoped and hoped that the game would not turn into Call of Duty: Spartans, but it did. I don't mind borrowing good elements from other games, but 343 brought in what seems like EVERY Call of Duty element they could. 'Press X to respawn instantly,' 'Here's a killstreak drop,' 'Here's a kill-cam,' 'Here are some perks,' 'Spawn with any weapon you want,' 'Here's a killcam,' 'Here's lots of QTEs in campaign.' Multiplayer has no sense of balance with all the perks, ordinance drops (which are weapon/overshield drops rewarded after a random number of kills). There are no longer weapon spawns across the map, just 2-3 'weapon nodes' which spawn random power weapons intermittently.
I was really looking forward to 343 taking their own spin on Halo, but the sad reality is that it's just a CoD clone in a Halo disguise. I'll say it again: this is not a bad game, but I can only give it a 5 because, to me personally, it took the Halo series too far in the WRONG direction. As much as it saddens me, I'll probably take it back for a refund today.…Expand

Halo needs to stay halo. It obvious doesn't work when COD and other fps features are put into it. 343 should know that reach was no received well with the core fan base but yet they took it further. This new game has no identity. It is in the middle of halo and other fps' and it just doesn't play well.

The campaign is very short. It is the shortest campaign of any halo game. Can easilyHalo needs to stay halo. It obvious doesn't work when COD and other fps features are put into it. 343 should know that reach was no received well with the core fan base but yet they took it further. This new game has no identity. It is in the middle of halo and other fps' and it just doesn't play well.

The campaign is very short. It is the shortest campaign of any halo game. Can easily beat the game on heroic in 5 hours which is unacceptable for this series. Every mission has been ripped from other halo games which shows no creativity. Example being the flying falcon mission from reach, only this time its a pelican you fly. The mission plays exactly the same just with a new coat of paint. Also each mission has you pushing a button 3 or 4 times.

Multiplayer is very unbalanced and is already being hacked by players with aim bot. The game requires no skill anymore. You no longer have to be good to rank up, as everybody will rank up just for playing. The game promotes the player who shoots first most of the time. WIth the glorious aim assist and the big hit boxes this game requires little to no skill.

Unfortunately halo is on its death bad. While trying to broaden the audience, the developers have lost what has made halo a cultural phenomenon. Unless they fix this the series will die out.…Expand

All I can say about Halo 4 is that it is probably the best game I have ever played. The story is amazing, multiplayer is SEXY as hell and the Spartan Ops mode is juicy. I can never get enough of this game. If you are not a fan of Halo or have never played a Halo game, I don't care. Get this game. It's worth every penny. Hell its worth more than its retail price! 343i, thank you for thisAll I can say about Halo 4 is that it is probably the best game I have ever played. The story is amazing, multiplayer is SEXY as hell and the Spartan Ops mode is juicy. I can never get enough of this game. If you are not a fan of Halo or have never played a Halo game, I don't care. Get this game. It's worth every penny. Hell its worth more than its retail price! 343i, thank you for this wonderful game and I can't wait for the next installment!…Expand

I love the Halo storyline especially Reach. However this Halo 4 campaign was a disappointment. The story was convenient and one dimensional. You might have replaced the words UNSC (United Nations Space Command) with USSC (United States Space Command). Having one black dude and one Asian dude does not count for diversity in the world. At least Halo Reach had Spartans with more exoticI love the Halo storyline especially Reach. However this Halo 4 campaign was a disappointment. The story was convenient and one dimensional. You might have replaced the words UNSC (United Nations Space Command) with USSC (United States Space Command). Having one black dude and one Asian dude does not count for diversity in the world. At least Halo Reach had Spartans with more exotic names.

The Game play was very repetitive. and it felt like playing a game of Pacman whereas playing Reach you felt that each level you were playing you were accomplishing a greater goal to the story line. I didn't have the same excitement I usually have will a Halo game. Games are more than just graphics, sounds and lighting. It missed that 4th dimension. Excitement. Despite this the MasterCheif/Cortana relationship was cool in this game. But overall I am very disappointment.…Expand

I'd give this game 10 out of 10 if it wasn't for the spartan ops avaiable only for gold. There's goes 70 dollars on a 6 hours single player campaign i played a thousand times in better halo games. Give me back Bungie

This game was.....ok. Not as good as the other ones. The quality of the series keeps going down and down. As great as HALO2 was, 3 then 4 continue the downward spiral of the once great series. I suggest if you wanna play a great shooter, try Black Ops 2.

I have been a hardcore Halo fan since the beginning (except for Reach of course). I followed Halo 4 news and updates since they announced that the game would be coming out. Now that it is finally here, I am beyond disappointed. I've tried so hard to like this game but every time I play it I want to spike my controller in frustration. There is so much wrong with this game I can't even thinkI have been a hardcore Halo fan since the beginning (except for Reach of course). I followed Halo 4 news and updates since they announced that the game would be coming out. Now that it is finally here, I am beyond disappointed. I've tried so hard to like this game but every time I play it I want to spike my controller in frustration. There is so much wrong with this game I can't even think of a decent place to begin. How about the campaign. For starters why the hell is chief suddenly so talkative, did anyone else notice this? Throughout the ENTIRE halo franchise Master Chief has been a man of few words, a mysterious, silent, badass. Now its like there is a differnt person inside the suit. Throughout the Halo 4 campaign he is unbelievably uncharacteristic asking question after question to Cortana and saying things that the REAL Chief would NEVER say. Also, his voice is different, they used the exact same voice actor (Steve Downes) but for whatever reason his pitch is off and his voice lost that serious badass tone. I could continue to go on about the campaign but this review would run out of characters so I better get on with 343's disastrous multiplayer. Well for the first week or so I enjoyed it until I realized all the bullsh*t I was being fed. Lately i've found myself changing the gametype after every game. I figure out why I was doing this so often until I came to the conclusion that I was simply bored. I was hoping to find something exciting, fair, and fun but simply could not because 343 did not deliver. When in game I should not have to stick a banshee or ghost twice to destroy it, not only does that make absolutely zero sense but it's almost impossible to do. Like all the Halo's in the past, sticking a vehicle should almost always guarantee a kill. In addition to the complete failure of the grenade's function in Halo 4, they are absolutely useless when it comes to combat. By the time I throw my grenade, I am already almost dead and if i do have a good throw it will at most take half their shield down, the grenades are nerfed beyond belief. Next would be how the power weapons disappear. Being a huge sniper fan, i'm always looking to get my hands on one, so when I do I am for once enjoying playing the game. Only problem is when I die and go back 10 seconds later to retrieve my favorite weapon it is gone. What good does setting fun weapons like the shotgun, sniper, and fuelrod with a 10 second respawn do? It's like they don't want us to use them, its already hard enough to find a good gun with the COD style load outs. Now the dreaded medals. Why the hell are there so many medals!? Getting a medal used to be for something you did that was for a unique way of killing someone like getting a headshot with a sniper or getting a perfection (may I add that both of these classic metals are completely removed from Halo 4). Now we see people getting up to 60 medals a game making a metal just another little stat instead of something that you could marvel over after a good game. There is even a medal for a "generic kill" "assist" and "distraction", honestly who cares about earning something like this? Next is the ranking system which is one of my biggest issues. The new system gives you your "rank" based off of how much experience you have or in other words how much you play. Since when does how much you play show off your skill/rank? Honestly 343, how could you create such pathetic ranking system. It's the most inaccurate representation of skill for a ranking system I have ever came across. Halo 3 had it down perfectly and no one complained so why would you mess with perfection. Speaking of perfection, Halo Reach did managed to create an excellent playlist called infection. It was fun, fair, and simple. It was one shot to the head or one close blast of a shotgun to kill an infected. In addition it was nice seeing the cool medals you could receive for sprees correlating with the classic killing spree, frenzy, and running riot (at 5, 10, 15 kills). Now in Halo 4 Flood Mode we get sprees at strange increments that don't match at 4, 6, and 10 and it takes 4 headshots to get a flood kill! On top of that they got rid of the sprees for weapons like the sniper and sword as well as splatter sprees, which I used to enjoy getting. To conclude my endless rant about the medals, it appears that they hired a 5th grade class to redesign them because apparently they didn't look good in the past and we now have bizarre and confusing designs. I didn't like the sharp, clean-cut ones in the past, thanks 343. Lastly don't bring back the battle rifle and call it the battle rifle. That thing in Halo 4 is not even close to feeling or resembling the battle rifle. How could they take one of the most symbolic weapons in Halo and change everything about it, it sounds strange, shoots too fast, and now has a rectangular scope..WHY. Wow 5,000 words, they must have really screwed up for somebody to type this much for a video game review. BAD.…Expand

I've been playing Halo for ten years and I don't see this as Halo anymore. if you enjoyed Reach then you'll enjoy this crap, mainly because this game aims to compete with CoD by becoming CoD...... again like Reach. Which is of course a horrible decision. Every single second of the multiplayer is filled with crap, like perks, unbalanced AA's again, weapon drops, over powered vehicles, andI've been playing Halo for ten years and I don't see this as Halo anymore. if you enjoyed Reach then you'll enjoy this crap, mainly because this game aims to compete with CoD by becoming CoD...... again like Reach. Which is of course a horrible decision. Every single second of the multiplayer is filled with crap, like perks, unbalanced AA's again, weapon drops, over powered vehicles, and dumbing down the game so some silly 3 year old could play it and kill a seasoned player with ease. The multiplayer is an abomination of horrible, unfair, and un-fun gameplay. I would not recommend buying this if you intend to play multiplayer.

If you however want to play campaign, I enjoyed this funnily enough. The campaign had story, and has playability to it unlike Reach's boring linear campaign. I give the rating of the campaign roughly a 95, but because the ,multiplayer is just so horrible I can't give it anything more than a 0 overall. Do not buy this game or future Halo's until the developers come to their senses and make a 'Halo' game, not CoD on steroids.…Expand

The campaign is too short and too plain. Should be the best part in the whole game.
The multiplayer lacks fun playlists and Infinity Slayer is bad. Also, there is a lot of lag in multiplayer. A lot.
The design is ugly, sound and visuals. There are a lot of bugs still waiting to be patched.
Overall, good job on ruining Halo, 343.

Pro: People say it has glorious grahpics but we are at the end of 2012, where I would expect graphics to have a big wow factor. I admit the graphics are quite good but they do not blow you away (Maybe if you compare them to games like borderlands and gears of war, okay yes it is better then games of the such). Audio of the guns are quite respective and flow with the guns quite well.Pro: People say it has glorious grahpics but we are at the end of 2012, where I would expect graphics to have a big wow factor. I admit the graphics are quite good but they do not blow you away (Maybe if you compare them to games like borderlands and gears of war, okay yes it is better then games of the such). Audio of the guns are quite respective and flow with the guns quite well.

Cons: Level design, there are no real balanced levels where the feel of halo once used to be. It seems that they only focused on multiplayer but they failed badly. feels like CoD , guns are way unbalanced. Score board doesn't show kd ratio, nor your death till after the game over. Thrust is useless. also when you get shot when you are zoomed in you really don't notice you are being hit since it doesn't affect your aiming nor does it zoom you out when you get shot.

Give it time, that fascination will dwindle. It can go on for only so long till reality hits. It sucks, I really loved halo 2 and halo 3 (not as much as 2), and was hoping for Halo 4 to bring back that prosperous feel that only halo brought with its smooth layout, fast paced multiplayer battles, decently balance weapons (BXR, BXB, and noob combo being the exception), but alas I did not feel the aura of halo at all that it once emanated. They are supposed to improve on the blocks that built halo not change the structure of what made it a great game, CoD makes CoD an awesome game so why mix the uniqueness from others into one? It only makes the final product not unique in its own sense, and if doing so why not add in some features from Hitman, Gears of War, and Borderlands into the mix of Halo. They all have there unique goodness that make those there own games in itself.

I just expect from a Halo game, a game that brings that warmth and that smile that halo once brought in the past, not a lets take whats good from other games and use it but lets leave master chief in it still so we can call it Halo.…Expand

halo 4 is the best game ive seen until now, its got probably the best multiplayer in my opinion and its the funesthalo 4 is the best game ive seen until now, its got probably the best multiplayer in my opinion and its the funest game.!........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................…Expand

343 Industries have basically taken COD4 and put all the elements in Halo 4 that make multiplayer unbalanced and unfair. The introduction of perks and loadouts means that any online skill is practically thrown out the door because there will always be a higher level with a better suited weapon/perk. The pace at which you die is completely unsuited to Halo, where 3 headshots with an343 Industries have basically taken COD4 and put all the elements in Halo 4 that make multiplayer unbalanced and unfair. The introduction of perks and loadouts means that any online skill is practically thrown out the door because there will always be a higher level with a better suited weapon/perk. The pace at which you die is completely unsuited to Halo, where 3 headshots with an individual weapon means that once you're shot at first, there is no coming back. The storyline is similar to that of a dodgy Mass Effect 1 makeshift, introducing a main villain, also the story revolves around an AI that no one ever really cared about. On the other hand, the graphics have been improved, evident in the amazing backgrounds of the campaign. Also it must be said that the campaign itself, aside from the story, is actually pretty entertaining and easily up there with Halo 3.…Expand

This was my most expected game of the year. i got the prequel book, the action figure, i went to the midnight launch, the works.

However, i was extremely disapointed when i finally got a chance to play the game. I live in a spanish speaking country, and was dismayed to find out that the version being sold only comes with spanish dubbed audio. The dub has several problems, including theThis was my most expected game of the year. i got the prequel book, the action figure, i went to the midnight launch, the works.

However, i was extremely disapointed when i finally got a chance to play the game. I live in a spanish speaking country, and was dismayed to find out that the version being sold only comes with spanish dubbed audio. The dub has several problems, including the fact that the lip syncing is horrible, but overall the most disapointing thing is the lack of choice, which, for me, renders the game unplayable, as i have played all other Halos in the original language, and refuse to submit to an inferior product.

I'm sure the game is great, but i am forced to give it a poor score due to this decision by 343 and Microsoft.…Expand

343 have done a great job. The audio and gameplay are fantastic. Best Halo yet. Also the multiplayer is better than ever. Minus 6 points as there is no local search or ping indicator in multiplayer. WTF, 343?!?!? FIX IT! I don't want to lag.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
i should preface this by saying that im a halo fan from the original halo thru halo 3, reach pushed me away and this one pretty much slammed the door in my face. the campaign is boring and frankly not the kind of story i would expect from a halo game. SPOILER! there is no boss fight at the end. now on to what everyone cares about: multiplier. my first thought is how **** disgraceful it is with the lack of map diversity. i hope you LOVE the map you play on because chances are you going to play it 6x in a row because there are only like 5 or 6 maps total and only 3 per selected game type (oddball, king of the hill, slayer, etc.) they tried to steal some tactics from call of duty but failed at it with there layouts but does it really matter what gun you start with if they all kill in 5 shots? i hope im not alone in thinking that i loved halo because it was a tactics game where everyone was on a level playing field. no tricks hidden up peoples sleeves. if i wanted that i would play COD, which i do and enjoy. i would not recommend this game for people who enjoyed the early (golden age) halo games.…Expand

I am disappointed. I was a big , fan of halo 1,2 and 3 ( over 70 days of play time on halo 3 ) but this halo is not something that fit with the quality of the trilogy. I will start with SP. The story last 4 hours in normal ( short as f*** for a 60 $ games ) and is not ''punchy''' like others halo. A very linear environment with nothing special and some really similar objective make theI am disappointed. I was a big , fan of halo 1,2 and 3 ( over 70 days of play time on halo 3 ) but this halo is not something that fit with the quality of the trilogy. I will start with SP. The story last 4 hours in normal ( short as f*** for a 60 $ games ) and is not ''punchy''' like others halo. A very linear environment with nothing special and some really similar objective make the campaign something that do not worth it. For the MP , this game should be called DMR 4 instead of Halo 4. The dmr is the only DECENT gun in the whole multiplayer. It just feel like a halo reach V 2 , even more crappy. I will sell this waste of time and stick to halo 3 instead , who still a decent and interesting game. Halo 4 do not deserve the name HALO.…Expand

If you loved Halo Combat evolved, then loved Halo 2, then loved Halo 3, though Halo Reach was hot garbage....I am so sorry you will not like Halo 4. As far as the campaign goes it is standard halo with a little more backtracking than I would like however the multiplayer is just a mess. want to mute that annoying kid screaming into your headphone, no longer is it easy like halo 3, you haveIf you loved Halo Combat evolved, then loved Halo 2, then loved Halo 3, though Halo Reach was hot garbage....I am so sorry you will not like Halo 4. As far as the campaign goes it is standard halo with a little more backtracking than I would like however the multiplayer is just a mess. want to mute that annoying kid screaming into your headphone, no longer is it easy like halo 3, you have to do finger yoga to mute someone and play at the same time. Tired of getting beat by the guys who are 5 levels above you...sorry there is no unranked playlist and your rank only goes up not down so eventually you will be playing at a level that is just no fun. I had the same emblem for YEARS and YEARS in halo now....well maybe I will unlock it someday. Like zombie rule #32 enjoy the little things. Well 343 forgot all the little things and tried to steal as much as they could from COD. :( I gave a 5 because the audio and video is very polished and high quality. Halo 3 would be a 9/10.…Expand

I mostly bought Halo 4 hoping to have a fun campaign to play through, however, the campaign feels more like a chore than anything else. If you are going to buy this mostly to play the campaign...just wait a few months, and pick it up for $20 used instead... or rent it. I had to force myself to get through the first 3 levels - it's all the same **** and the whole time you'll be thinking "isI mostly bought Halo 4 hoping to have a fun campaign to play through, however, the campaign feels more like a chore than anything else. If you are going to buy this mostly to play the campaign...just wait a few months, and pick it up for $20 used instead... or rent it. I had to force myself to get through the first 3 levels - it's all the same **** and the whole time you'll be thinking "is this going anywhere?". The story is dull with plenty of crap that makes absolutely no sense. It's like they tried to take what was already a good sci-fi storyline and jumble in a bunch of garbage that's not really entertaining. I'll be glad when I finish playing this game so I can just trade it in. I have no idea where critics came up with the 9.0+ ratings for this game.

All I'm gonna say is its shocking the guns are rubbish and if you want a shooter wait till cod on Tuesday I have played all halos and this is by far the most unrealistic one two shots with a single shot bmr rifle kill you it's rubbish 10 out of 10 for the campaign 5 out of 10 for multiplayer

Before I get trolled by all those fan-boys let me make it clear I'm not a Sony fan-boy or a COD fan-boy. I'm Xbox through and through but...

As much as I enjoy this game - I'm now becoming bored.
The campaign is nice enough but the multi-player is just the same as previous Halos but with polished graphics and slightly more class customisation.
But after all these years they've notBefore I get trolled by all those fan-boys let me make it clear I'm not a Sony fan-boy or a COD fan-boy. I'm Xbox through and through but...

As much as I enjoy this game - I'm now becoming bored.

The campaign is nice enough but the multi-player is just the same as previous Halos but with polished graphics and slightly more class customisation.

But after all these years they've not added anything "special" to the multi-player. It's still very slow to get into matches and there are glitches that keep ending multi-player matches before they finish.
There's a very limited weapons choice. The perks are one-dimensional. The armour is just for show - there's no concept of trading off heavy armour against speed and agility.
There's no building damage (like BF3)

Maybe the problem with this game is that they spend so much time, effort and money on the campaign that they don't have much to offer the multi-player other than a graphics polish.

It seems that Halo 4 was made so that fans of the series happy and satisfied with what Halo was always, feel at home. It's a game that does not take risks, perhaps for fear of not pleasing - that's what he tries to do more with its beautiful scenery, high production value and cinematic sequences. It's a game of unquestionable artistic and technical competence, but that, at least in theIt seems that Halo 4 was made so that fans of the series happy and satisfied with what Halo was always, feel at home. It's a game that does not take risks, perhaps for fear of not pleasing - that's what he tries to do more with its beautiful scenery, high production value and cinematic sequences. It's a game of unquestionable artistic and technical competence, but that, at least in the first few hours, seems to be missing something. Or perhaps it is a sign that his formula for over 10 years, virtually unchanged here, since you no longer have the same breadth of before in a single campaign.…Expand

I give this game 1 point, because it has the name Halo on it. Other than that, it doesn't live up to it's predecesors, let alone, makes for a good game on it's own. I hate to say this, but Halo is dead, my friends.

I bought this game anticipating a great multiplayer experience, but what I got was a tired formula of a series that just isn't fun anymore. It just felt like a prettier, less fun halo game compared to the original, on xbox. Never have I ever felt so ripped off until now. If you're looking for a fresh new shooter, this isn't the place to look. Microsoft needs to do more than just Halo andI bought this game anticipating a great multiplayer experience, but what I got was a tired formula of a series that just isn't fun anymore. It just felt like a prettier, less fun halo game compared to the original, on xbox. Never have I ever felt so ripped off until now. If you're looking for a fresh new shooter, this isn't the place to look. Microsoft needs to do more than just Halo and Kinect if they want their next console to be a success.…Expand

If you're new to the Halo multiplayer franchise i advise you to pick up Halo 3 its cheaper and totally the same.its just the typical walk shoot game nothing new story ehhh nobody cares about the story multiplayer is worse then ever.

As a halo fan I was ready to give 343 industries a chance and looking back now, how wrong I was to even think about buying it.
Starting off with the PROS:
1. the game looks very well polished and sleek (a bit too polished)
2. they've brought some old guns back
3. sprint is a standard ability given to everyone
4. master chief talks more
That's about it...
CONS:
1. the menu screenAs a halo fan I was ready to give 343 industries a chance and looking back now, how wrong I was to even think about buying it.
Starting off with the PROS:
1. the game looks very well polished and sleek (a bit too polished)
2. they've brought some old guns back
3. sprint is a standard ability given to everyone
4. master chief talks more
That's about it...
CONS:
1. the menu screen has been played with too much making it feel odd
2. possibly the biggest problem, the music. if it's perfect don't change it
3. boring campaign only consisting of objectives like ' hold the enemy off ' or ' destroy the shields '
4. forge feels like its been copied and pasted added with a pile of turd stuck on top
5. boring new maps that are no good for forge and make a bad multiplayer
6. the mantis is a good concept but the design is terrible
7. the forerunner weapons look cool but imo aren't good for any situation
8. people on line are either idiots that camp or people who waste their life devoted to levelling up. It's becoming just like COD is.
The game is just a let down. Sadly, 343 industries have ruined the halo era.…Expand

Got it as a gift and it's garbage. It's Halo: Reach COD-ified. Plenty of bugs (Certain maps aren't appearing in cycle, for one), short story, boring missions abound. I would return it if I could. It stings even worse knowing how far one of my favorite game series has fallen.

Why not instead of trying to grab fanbases of CoD and Halo, you just make an original and intuitive f*cking game?

Overall, I really enjoyed Halo 4. While I did not enjoy as much as Halo 3 it was still a great game. It had its problems but it was a lot of fun. The single player was finally good. The multiplayer was fun and Spartan Ops adds legs to the game. While there are things I would have liked the game there is a lot of good stuff in here. Halo 4 is the best Halo since Halo 3 and hopefully 343 canOverall, I really enjoyed Halo 4. While I did not enjoy as much as Halo 3 it was still a great game. It had its problems but it was a lot of fun. The single player was finally good. The multiplayer was fun and Spartan Ops adds legs to the game. While there are things I would have liked the game there is a lot of good stuff in here. Halo 4 is the best Halo since Halo 3 and hopefully 343 can keep it up with Halo 5 & 6.…Expand

The Master Chef returns with all new recipes and cooking supplies. I had an okay time with this game. The story was easily the worst part (but that's nothing new for Halo), but it looked great and played perfectly. The Multiplayer is very good as well, not much more to say about that. It's good. The score was a bit of a letdown and you can definitely tell this was not made by Bungie. It'sThe Master Chef returns with all new recipes and cooking supplies. I had an okay time with this game. The story was easily the worst part (but that's nothing new for Halo), but it looked great and played perfectly. The Multiplayer is very good as well, not much more to say about that. It's good. The score was a bit of a letdown and you can definitely tell this was not made by Bungie. It's lacking a certain Halo feel, which it makes up for in all new sounds for the guns (all sorts of pew-pews in this game, all sorts). Nothing revolutionary and will be quickly forgotten once Halo 5 comes out, but it's still fun.…Expand

Copy/Paste to all Halo reviews after all these years: I didn't have a 360 for a few years (played 3 and ODST). In the meantime I played all sorts of fps- COD, BF, Killzone (which is awesome), Resistance, and every single other one. And coming back to Halo when I rebought a 360 was like the greatest homecoming ever. Unlike those other games, every Halo battle is like a chess match waitingCopy/Paste to all Halo reviews after all these years: I didn't have a 360 for a few years (played 3 and ODST). In the meantime I played all sorts of fps- COD, BF, Killzone (which is awesome), Resistance, and every single other one. And coming back to Halo when I rebought a 360 was like the greatest homecoming ever. Unlike those other games, every Halo battle is like a chess match waiting to happen. And once you truly know every enemy and every weapon, you fall into a sweet spot of gaming that is possibly the best of all action games ever made. It's just the best. Great now I have to copy and paste this 4 more times.…Expand

Let me first start off by saying I have been a hardcore halo fan for so many years, having bought all the halo games and loving every one of them (including halo wars which I thought was a underrated game).I so desperately want to give this game a great rating,but I couldn't.The only thing that kept my review up to a 6 and almost a 7 was the fact that the online multiplayer kicked my assLet me first start off by saying I have been a hardcore halo fan for so many years, having bought all the halo games and loving every one of them (including halo wars which I thought was a underrated game).I so desperately want to give this game a great rating,but I couldn't.The only thing that kept my review up to a 6 and almost a 7 was the fact that the online multiplayer kicked my ass till my cheeks turned red.
MULTIPLAYER:

Some people might say that it ripped off COD, but I thought they kept that same halo formula, but made it more engaging and action packed.Sprinting was added because every modern game nowadays has sprinting and it makes matches more up tempo because there is more engagement spots.Another big thing added was the oradence drops and I don't remember COD having a choice of 3 random weapons or upgrades which came after a certain amount of points.In the end this multiplayer will keep me playing for years to come and has nothing but room to improve in the next 2 games.

CUSTOM GAMES AND FORGE:

This is the place where halo 4 really falls flat to me.In all my years playing halo the most important part to me was the customization.In halo 4 I would have to give this a 1.5. 343 took the whole new multiplayer to far and destroyed the one thing that made Halo the premier game on xbox over COD and what gave me so many great memories of playing Halo 3 until the sun came up. Creating new innovative maps and gametypes that have me playing to this day. Halo 3 might not have been the most visually stunning game but with all the customization and support bungie put into the game,Halo 3 was what you made of it.Now with Halo 4 they through that all out the window, they don't even have a file share anymore and no race gametype. They replaced infection with Flood which I could go on about the enormity of stupidity that is in this gametype. To say it bluntly the zombies are over powered, and you can't customize s***!You can't even give the zombies a gravity hammer or any other weapon plus you cant even change the loadout for the infection. All those great infection gametypes are gone.I haven't even gotten to the worst part of it yet,they took out all the classic halo gametypes.One flag, assault,juggernaut,the list goes on.The only positive was an improved griffball and thats it.I will give it to them though the forgeing in this game is phenomenal. The magnets make making maps so much faster, but warning they can make some things uneven if your making a flat surface. The only downside to it is that it is practically impossible to create a gametype for your map. I had spent all night creating this great one flag map and I tried every combination to even make it a regular CTF game, didn't work. Alright then maybe I can create a slayer map... nope. So lastly I resorted to dominion and it worked and but ohh was it glitchy. The shields worked when they wanted to, and the turrets switched teams every 30 seconds. It was so disappointing after all the work we put into that map to have it barely playable. If they they polish this I think Halo 5 could be a 10.

CAMPAIGN:

For me the campaign was well polished and full of action, but uneventful. I want to state the flaws strait out. One is that the ending was boring to say the least I want to finish it myself, not in some quicktime event.The other thing was that Halo 4 didn't produce any great moments that Halo 3 created so many of. Destroying the scarab, storming the beach against the covenant, that final driving scene while the ring was collapsing, and the list goes on. I will give them a pass here because it was their first time around, but I won't be so easy on the halo 5 campaign.

CO-OP:

This section I will be brief on but honest. The CO-OP in this game is mediocre at best. First off I have to say. They replaced firefight with this crap! This is at the peak of bull s*** mountain to me. Spartan Ops is dull and recycled maps every episode and is nothing but killing enemies and flipping switches. There is no altering of the game mode or point system giving you no satisfaction after a kill. I have played through the first two episodes and it is the same exact thing except you start out on a different part of the map.

CONCLUSION:

Halo 4 succeeds in creating a innovative and engaging multiplayer but falls short on co-op and customization. As for the campaign, they did a pretty good job for their first go around, but needs more wow moments.…Expand

It feels a little lacking in the campaign area compared to Bungie additions, however, the campaign is still fun, varied, and looks amazing. Topped with more brilliant writing and voice acting, the campaign is still a solid area of the game. My main issue is that it feels a little more repetitive at times. The multiplayer is a MASSIVE improvement over Reach though. Instead of being lazyIt feels a little lacking in the campaign area compared to Bungie additions, however, the campaign is still fun, varied, and looks amazing. Topped with more brilliant writing and voice acting, the campaign is still a solid area of the game. My main issue is that it feels a little more repetitive at times. The multiplayer is a MASSIVE improvement over Reach though. Instead of being lazy forge edits, all the maps are unique and interesting to navigate. I was originally skeptical about more armor abilities and loadouts, but the loadouts are limited and balanced and the stars of the game are still equipment you find on the map or call in as ordinance. A simple loadout system doesn't make this game CoD when the core gameplay is still Halo. Ignore any reviews on here attempting to make that point because it's just stupid.…Expand

Halo 4 isn't a perfect game, but it's a good example of how to revitalize a franchise whose success is in doubt as a result of transitioning developers. In fact, 343 Industries in many ways surpasses Bungie's in design and storytelling, and this is particularly evident in the campaign but can generally be seen everywhere in the game. Halo 4's campaign, albeit it a rather short journey evenHalo 4 isn't a perfect game, but it's a good example of how to revitalize a franchise whose success is in doubt as a result of transitioning developers. In fact, 343 Industries in many ways surpasses Bungie's in design and storytelling, and this is particularly evident in the campaign but can generally be seen everywhere in the game. Halo 4's campaign, albeit it a rather short journey even accounting for skill gaps, is the franchise's best when it comes to storytelling. The beauty is that Halo 4's story isn't just told through the cutscenes--as beautiful as they are--but through the living breathing world of Requiem and the ongoing battle Cortana faces--much of it in-game--with her own mortality. Fundamentally, Halo 4 is a game about humanity, more specifically, the humanity of the dynamic duo of the Master Chief. In Halo 4, we are posed with the interesting question of who is more machine than man: the rampant AI who is unable to distinguish between her cognitive self and human identity, or the one man tank who seemingly has no weakness, yet, at his core, is a human being. 343i sets this as the core of the campaign, and the consistent storytelling that results isn't simply good, it is quite honestly tear-jerking. Presentation wise, Halo--or any other game on the Xbox--hasn't looked better. The planet of Requiem pops with detail, from the vicious Promothean Knights to the structures that seemingly defy the laws of physics. The MC's character model is incredibly refined, with dents and scrapes signifying the journey of the MC not only as a soldier, but as a person--battered and self-questioning. The sound has nearly been redone, and everything sounds fantastic--from the intimidating weapons fire, phenomenal voice acting to the clunk of MJOLNIR armor on metal.

Gameplay wise, Halo 4 is still Halo, even with all the additions 343i has made. The triangle of guns, grenades and melee is unbroken and those who master this triangle will consistently outcompete those who have not. Multiplayer is as dynamic as it has ever been, striking the right balance between a a worthwhile progression system and a balanced experience core to Halo. Spartan Ops, while great in concept, is ahit and miss with brief "missionettes" that aren't really cohesive. Luckily, 343i has room to improve this future episodes, but for fans of Halo's lore such as myself, Spartan Ops is certainly an improvement over monotonous AI killing characteristic of.Firefight.

My biggest complaint about Halo 4 is the removal of some of the customization that made Halo 3 great. In the Forge, precision editing without the use of coordinates is no longer possible, and in gametypes, the classic Infection is no longer available. The latter is detrimental as this is the one gametype which spawned hundreds of very memorable custom experiences in Halo 3 and even Reach. Overall, Halo 4 is a massive win for not only 343i, but for Halo fans and the gaming industry in general. Anyone who owns an Xbox owes themselves to pick up this game.…Expand

This review will be for halo fans and i can only say that if u love the other halo games you will certainly enjoy this one. Only a couple of things though,the battle areas arent as big as they are in reach or no.3 and some of the later stages are a tad repetitve but graphically is probably the best halo. I still think that reach is a touch better and halo 3 a little more epic but overallThis review will be for halo fans and i can only say that if u love the other halo games you will certainly enjoy this one. Only a couple of things though,the battle areas arent as big as they are in reach or no.3 and some of the later stages are a tad repetitve but graphically is probably the best halo. I still think that reach is a touch better and halo 3 a little more epic but overall this can stand proudly in the halo canon.…Expand

Woah, just woah. I was expecting a pretty good campaign but no where near as good as it was. The story was amazing. Graphics are amazing, especially the scenery. There is nothing wrong with it all. For me, multiplayer was a slight step down from Reach. It's still great fun, if not better in areas. However, one thing I really was looking forward too that I didn't get was Firefight, whichWoah, just woah. I was expecting a pretty good campaign but no where near as good as it was. The story was amazing. Graphics are amazing, especially the scenery. There is nothing wrong with it all. For me, multiplayer was a slight step down from Reach. It's still great fun, if not better in areas. However, one thing I really was looking forward too that I didn't get was Firefight, which was one of my favourite game modes which I would love to have seen brought into Halo 4. Other then that, 343 Industries have done a great job taking over where Bungie left.…Expand

I have bought and played every halo game made. I love the franchise but to be completely honest, Halo 4 feels a little plain. The multiplayer is still well balanced but lacks any real improvement or innovation. Spartan Ops fails to really do anything except to put together short uneventful missions with amazing CGI shorts. Campaign is gorgeous visually but is really more of the same.I have bought and played every halo game made. I love the franchise but to be completely honest, Halo 4 feels a little plain. The multiplayer is still well balanced but lacks any real improvement or innovation. Spartan Ops fails to really do anything except to put together short uneventful missions with amazing CGI shorts. Campaign is gorgeous visually but is really more of the same. Though i can say the story is better than that of previous installments, Reach being my favorite still. Halo is still the game we know and love but 343 played it a little too safe.…Expand

It' been a while since I actually played a video game that got me stuck to my seat. Halo 4 has everything that a game needs to work. Outstanding graphics and cinematic, a fitting soundtrack and a solid story with strong emotion as a bonus. Sure, the story is short at around 7 - 8 hours of playtime on the hardest setting but what the game offers in game play and story definitely makes upIt' been a while since I actually played a video game that got me stuck to my seat. Halo 4 has everything that a game needs to work. Outstanding graphics and cinematic, a fitting soundtrack and a solid story with strong emotion as a bonus. Sure, the story is short at around 7 - 8 hours of playtime on the hardest setting but what the game offers in game play and story definitely makes up for this. 343 industries are certainly a worthy successor to the great Bungie and I am certainly excited about what is to come from this company.
I do however feel that this game does focus way too strongly on the online multiplayer feature but today, that's a given with any game of this genre. I would have liked the story to be longer but for what we are given, it is definitely a worthy sequel.…Expand

I was so let down by this game. I watched all the trailer and listened to 343 say it would take Halo back to its roots and how it would be like Halo 3. the final product ends up being a Halo, CoD mashup which just dilutes the traditional Halo experience to near worthlessness and doesn't have the addictive arcade/CoD gameplay. Yes graphically it's beautiful, but the story is ehh, forgeI was so let down by this game. I watched all the trailer and listened to 343 say it would take Halo back to its roots and how it would be like Halo 3. the final product ends up being a Halo, CoD mashup which just dilutes the traditional Halo experience to near worthlessness and doesn't have the addictive arcade/CoD gameplay. Yes graphically it's beautiful, but the story is ehh, forge and customs were gutted, and matchmaking is a shell of what Halo once was. Halo 4 would not have been too bad as its own IP, but it is a dreadful Halo game. On the bright side, 343 seems to be listening and are implementing some changes and hopefully will fix Halo 4's issues for Halo 5.…Expand

Halo 3 multiplayer was the reason i had to buy an Xbox 360, and when i eventually did i couldn't put the controller down, years later and Halo 4 is finally here, but i'm slightly disappointed to say the least.

I don't have live and this game, like so many FPS' these days was made more for the online player. The campaign was brutally short and not all that replayable. However, it was fun while it lasted. It was also quite polished, but that isn't enough to carry it on its own. Most people will give it horrible reviews just because they want to feel like they're keeping the Halo franchise back, asI don't have live and this game, like so many FPS' these days was made more for the online player. The campaign was brutally short and not all that replayable. However, it was fun while it lasted. It was also quite polished, but that isn't enough to carry it on its own. Most people will give it horrible reviews just because they want to feel like they're keeping the Halo franchise back, as they felt it should have ended with Halo 3. Although I agree the series should have stayed finished, 343 did a good enough job.…Expand

It had a lot to live up to didn't it? I loved Halo:Reach and I give it a 10. I am giving Halo 4 a 9 and here's why:

Campaign: The campaign in reach was its weakest feature but it is one of the strongest in Halo 4. 4's campaign is more imaginative, longer and is much more fun to play. The Campaign is up to the CE's standard and will not disapoint fans. 10/10
Spartan-Ops: I willIt had a lot to live up to didn't it? I loved Halo:Reach and I give it a 10. I am giving Halo 4 a 9 and here's why:

Campaign: The campaign in reach was its weakest feature but it is one of the strongest in Halo 4. 4's campaign is more imaginative, longer and is much more fun to play. The Campaign is up to the CE's standard and will not disapoint fans. 10/10

Spartan-Ops: I will overlook the fact that it is a rip off from COD. S-O replaced firefight which really annoyed me because firefight was fun. S-O is not as bad as I thought it would be because it ties in with the campaign and the missions are short. The only issue is that you re-spawn, no checkpoints etc.. This makes S-O slightly pointless, however I would not get rid of S-O, I would just bring back firefight as well. 9/10

Multiplayer: 343 said that there were going to be changes and they were right., However, almost every change has made it worse. On reach less was more. 343 have thrown that out of the window and created gameplay that is too fast and frankly just boring and repetitive. On reach it felt like every game had a story and every game game slowly developed, where as now games are boring and too fast. There have been too many new features and too many classic features have been removed. 6/10

Forge and Custom Games - There are three forge world's - great idea. However none of them are big enough! This also means that custom games is not as fun. Also where did the race game type go? I have given it a 7 because these are still unique parts of halo and forge is really good. There's just not enough space.
7/10

Other features and website: Waypoint is still good, the armour is as good as reach's, the commendations have improved the theater and file share are still good. The new website isn't as good as bungie.net though. 9/10

Overall halo 4 retains many features that make halo amazing and also the campaign is second to none. Unfortunately 342 have included too many new things which have ruined parts of the game.
All of my scores added together and divided by 5 equal 8 but this game deserves a 9 because it is still an amazing game. There are just too many annoying features that detract from the beauty of halo.…Expand

Personally I thought Halo would die with Bungie, after a not-so-good remake of the first game by the hand of 343 I doubted the potential that this game would have, but I am happy to say, I was completely wrong. The first thing that stands out when you play Halo 4 are the visuals, this is by far the best looking game for the 360, it can even compete with PC graphics to a certain point sincePersonally I thought Halo would die with Bungie, after a not-so-good remake of the first game by the hand of 343 I doubted the potential that this game would have, but I am happy to say, I was completely wrong. The first thing that stands out when you play Halo 4 are the visuals, this is by far the best looking game for the 360, it can even compete with PC graphics to a certain point since the level of detail is amazing. The first thing I covered was the campaign, it was entertaining with a story now focused on Cortana and the forrunner awakening instead of Chief and the Halo rings. Prometheans stand out as the new enemies with some new challenges and badass weapons. Overall the campaign was great but it was a little short with only eight missions. However the next part makes up for it. Multiplayer is the star of this franchise since Halo 2, and it does not disappoint. There are various multiplayer modes, both old and new, which have excellent, faster, and more aggressive combat. Load-outs can now be created and selected and there are now powerful weapon drops, or ordinances, that are rewarded with kill streaks. One new vehicle has been added called the Mantis, which is a mech that is balanced enough to be badass yet destroyable. There are some great maps present such as the remake of Halo 3's Valhalla called Ragnarok, which is amazing. Also, there are now more than a single map for forge, and since most of the big team maps are massive there are good spots to be creative. The other multiplayer mode apart from the competitive modes is Spartan Ops. This mode is basically co-op missions with a unique story and with new episodes being released with time, the only problem I have with spartan ops is that with a few players I've had a great delay, making the game unplayable. Again, forge is better than ever, with some awesome maps, great new tools, and new options promoting creativity. This game has so much that I assure it will be completely worth whatever price it is where you live, 343 has done an amazing job and created one of my game of the year candidates.…Expand

They didn't really do anything to improve upon the Halo Universe - same (for the most part) weapons, vehicles, etc. The campaign was much more repetitive than any other Halo and the story was not very good (why can't these big game companies find decent writers??). Lots of button pushing, and inconsistencies with the space (for instance, you land on a "tower" which is maybe 200 yardsThey didn't really do anything to improve upon the Halo Universe - same (for the most part) weapons, vehicles, etc. The campaign was much more repetitive than any other Halo and the story was not very good (why can't these big game companies find decent writers??). Lots of button pushing, and inconsistencies with the space (for instance, you land on a "tower" which is maybe 200 yards wide, but the interior of it is about a mile deep... Not very well thought-out. Very small, annoying missions (lots of "activations" or "deactivations" at the end of each mission), which remind me of some of the more boring games out there - if it had not been Halo characters I truly believe this game would have gotten much worse critics' reviews.…Expand

The main problem with this game is the convoluted story, and the repetitive game play; so little change since Reach. The graphics are dated, and the new dialogue between the Chief and Cortana is cringey. The new enemies are also poorly designed and boring to fight- the flood was way more fun. Multiplayer is fun though, best yet in the series.

Halo 4 is a real disappointment compared to the past.
The final duel is horrible and lacking in originality.
The single players has too many small arenas of multiplayer.
Pitched battles in open places are ridiculous compared to the past.
The campaign is too short.
For Halo 5 343 should be guided by planetside 2, the real Halo 4 of this generation imho.
If Halo 5 will like Halo 4,Halo 4 is a real disappointment compared to the past.
The final duel is horrible and lacking in originality.
The single players has too many small arenas of multiplayer.
Pitched battles in open places are ridiculous compared to the past.
The campaign is too short.

For Halo 5 343 should be guided by planetside 2, the real Halo 4 of this generation imho.
If Halo 5 will like Halo 4, then I do not buy it.…Expand

I must admit that this game had me worried. A new studio taking over a successful franchise. Well I think they have successfully justified the franchise. The first thing i noticed was that the graphics seem to have improved significantly. The controls seem even tighter and the game play fully intact. The next chapter seems to be well written and I can't wait to continue with this newI must admit that this game had me worried. A new studio taking over a successful franchise. Well I think they have successfully justified the franchise. The first thing i noticed was that the graphics seem to have improved significantly. The controls seem even tighter and the game play fully intact. The next chapter seems to be well written and I can't wait to continue with this new trilogy. The soundtrack is also as good as it could be. This fits perfectly into the Halo universe and should be recognized for it's detail. An incredible tribute to the entire Halo universe.…Expand

halo but without the ability to download custom games on console. great visuals and better competitive play than reach but misses out on the key aspect of halo ... fun . A big dissapointment in hindsight but good in its own right.

I don't know, I feel like a lot of the negative reviews of this game are from the "hardcore" or "true" gamer crowd. I consider myself hardcore, and I like this game for the multiplayer, the singleplayer is alright. My gripes are that the multiplayer does feel a little strange compared to old games and, as a few have said, grenades don't seem to matter as much. The combat felt slightlyI don't know, I feel like a lot of the negative reviews of this game are from the "hardcore" or "true" gamer crowd. I consider myself hardcore, and I like this game for the multiplayer, the singleplayer is alright. My gripes are that the multiplayer does feel a little strange compared to old games and, as a few have said, grenades don't seem to matter as much. The combat felt slightly slower than previous entries in the series, but its not bad by any means. I think you should take all reviews as someone else's opinion for this reason, alot of the negative reviews probably went in expecting the game to suck and they only remembered it sucking. They want to seem popular and talk about how games have sold out without realizing that these companies do in fact want your money. This isn't some family fun time and realistically they don't owe you anything, so if you wanna be popular with the gaming hipsters who pretend to be hardcore, bad talk the game before you try it, and then remember the time you jumped off the cliff in game, not the gorgeous visuals.…Expand

This game has a great start which really sucks you in. The graphics and atmosfere are simply amazing. After a while though the level design gets a bit boring and repetetive. Also the lack of autosave prevents me from giving it a high a score. I had to replay to certain (difficult) parts multiple times because I did not save but turned off my Xbox (as I do with all games).

This review is a multiplayer only review.. I could care less about the campaign. I only play Halo games for the multiplayer and this is one of the best multiplayers I have played... I'm still trying to decide whether this game or Halo 3 is my favorite Halo multiplayer.. It's a tough decision.. but I'm definitely giving a 10 to make up for the COD trolls on here. This game is a greatThis review is a multiplayer only review.. I could care less about the campaign. I only play Halo games for the multiplayer and this is one of the best multiplayers I have played... I'm still trying to decide whether this game or Halo 3 is my favorite Halo multiplayer.. It's a tough decision.. but I'm definitely giving a 10 to make up for the COD trolls on here. This game is a great game.... get it if you like any Halo game ever.. and ignore the negative reviews from people wanting to one shot everybody in COD because they don't have enough skill to play Halo.…Expand

After having played many great games in 2012, Halo 4 would be my pick for Game of the Year. By far the greatest Halo game. Good story, great presentation and pacing. Gameplay and weapons the best of any Halo game yet. This renders Halo 3 about unplayable and makes Halo Reach look dated, and that's just the stellar Campaign mode. Really just started playing multiplayer shooters lastAfter having played many great games in 2012, Halo 4 would be my pick for Game of the Year. By far the greatest Halo game. Good story, great presentation and pacing. Gameplay and weapons the best of any Halo game yet. This renders Halo 3 about unplayable and makes Halo Reach look dated, and that's just the stellar Campaign mode. Really just started playing multiplayer shooters last year BF3, Transformers FOC and I really enjoy Halo 4 Multiplayer.. Multiplayer is not as deep as BF3, but man it is awesome fun. Don't know what these low reviewers think they should have done better, probably prefer zombie or kiddie games, but I feel this is the must have Xbox game of 2012!…Expand

Game of the Year...This Halo is by far the best of the series. Stunning graphics, a great story, the usual amazing Halo Multiplayer, and Spartan Ops is a good addition. If you have an Xbox, you MUST buy this game! An instant classic. My choice for best game of 2012.

I really wish that the Halo 4 we got was different from what we got. I did not enjoy the story nor the multiplayer for this game, which is disappointing because this was a highly anticipated game for me, but once I finished the campaign and got some play time in online... I realized this game is NOT for me. The story is pretty stupid, the new enemies they added are annoying. They changedI really wish that the Halo 4 we got was different from what we got. I did not enjoy the story nor the multiplayer for this game, which is disappointing because this was a highly anticipated game for me, but once I finished the campaign and got some play time in online... I realized this game is NOT for me. The story is pretty stupid, the new enemies they added are annoying. They changed almost everything from the original Halo series. I'm not anticipating Halo 5 or 6 even in the slightest.…Expand

I was excited to play this game. I had watched the Forward Until Dawn series and several of the other CG webisodes that had to do with special ops. It looked like they really wanted to take Halo to the next level and advance the plot. All of the marketing for this game was top notch, however the game was not. I was amazed at how little the game felt like it had evolved from the very firstI was excited to play this game. I had watched the Forward Until Dawn series and several of the other CG webisodes that had to do with special ops. It looked like they really wanted to take Halo to the next level and advance the plot. All of the marketing for this game was top notch, however the game was not. I was amazed at how little the game felt like it had evolved from the very first incarnation of Halo. The in game plot did not live up to the standard set by all the marketing. As far as I could tell there were only 3 cutscenes that were rendered at cinema quality, the rest seemed to be rendered with the in-game engine. I played the campaign co-op, and repeatedly had to deal with being respawned over empty space or in front of walls on vehicle levels. The AI was unimpressive for the current generation of FPS games. This is the Halo game that will make me stop playing Halo.…Expand

What do you expect from a Halo game? If you expect a rock solid Sci-fi shooter then your in for a treat. Halo 4 is one of the best shooters of the year, hands down. Overall, if you don't want a lengthy review, it excels in everything it does. Sound feels realistic and adds to the atmosphere. Guns sound like they should. Its something you don't expect, to be wowed by a games sound, but itsWhat do you expect from a Halo game? If you expect a rock solid Sci-fi shooter then your in for a treat. Halo 4 is one of the best shooters of the year, hands down. Overall, if you don't want a lengthy review, it excels in everything it does. Sound feels realistic and adds to the atmosphere. Guns sound like they should. Its something you don't expect, to be wowed by a games sound, but its something that really stands out and adds to the impact you feel when you fire a gun. Visually its stunning. The graphics are vibrant and often make you feel like you have to stop and appreciate the landscape in front of you. It especially shows when you look at the games guns. When you pick up the games guns they flick into life, bending and clicking into place on their own. Its amazing. The noise and style of these guns sends me back to my times playing Star Wars Battlefront, which certainly isn't a bad thing. The multiplayer is excellent. Matchs are perfectly paced due to the size of the maps and guns you possess. Much better than the unfair chaos of CoD. Co-op(i'll get to the story in a second) is so very, very fun. Plenty of laughs to be had here. But I had one problem with this though. We started from the beginning. Master chief is woken by Cortana. He gets out the cryo sleep and has a chat with her. "Jameson", as I was called, woke up just after chief and opens up his pod. WHO IS HE(/them if more than one)? They aren't ever talked to by chief or Cortana. I would have like it if 343 put the effort in to give this/these sidekicks a back story. I mean, in the cut-scenes where do they go? Is "Jameson" a forgotten hero? I remember you "Jameson". The story is a bit too much like Portal for my liking. Baring in mind that Portal is one of my favorite games. Cortana has over done her stay as a computer and is slowly turning crazy. Making things harder for you on your than they should be. But the story is still good, none the less. What you do in the story however occasionally lacks the innovation of the other Halo's held. It follows your generic FPS fashion in 2/3 of what you'll be doing. You know the drill? Walk down a corridor, in Halos case a very wide corridor, and shoot the baddies. But due to everything I previously said, it doesn't get as repetitive as I have previously seen. So overall is a consistent package which is definitely worth your buck.…Expand

The Single-player took a great turn for 343 Industries, but the Multi-player is lacking a lot (Bolt shot is overpowered, most guns are basically shooting peas at the thing you're pointing at). Halo was suppose to be a good balance between Grenade, Melee, and Weapons. But 343 just throws that out the window and says "Hey, lets make the most unfair, most hated multi-player ever. That'll sureThe Single-player took a great turn for 343 Industries, but the Multi-player is lacking a lot (Bolt shot is overpowered, most guns are basically shooting peas at the thing you're pointing at). Halo was suppose to be a good balance between Grenade, Melee, and Weapons. But 343 just throws that out the window and says "Hey, lets make the most unfair, most hated multi-player ever. That'll sure show those people expecting a good game." I actually think Call of Duty has a better multi-player than Halo 4, and that says a lot.…Expand

It is better than Reach but, what isn't better than Reach? The gameplay dynamics feel more refined than Halo Reach. The hit-scan weapons reduce multiplayer lag online. The load-outs still make the game feel like a watered down CoD rather than Halo. The lack of an in-game true skill ranking system really irks me as well. Over all I would give this a 4 out of 10 because it was a visibleIt is better than Reach but, what isn't better than Reach? The gameplay dynamics feel more refined than Halo Reach. The hit-scan weapons reduce multiplayer lag online. The load-outs still make the game feel like a watered down CoD rather than Halo. The lack of an in-game true skill ranking system really irks me as well. Over all I would give this a 4 out of 10 because it was a visible improvement over Reach but still nothing close to Halo 2 or Halo 3.…Expand

Graphics was a huge improvement campaign wise and I really like the direction they took with the legacy of Master Chief in campaign mode. I am huge fan of Halo Multiplayer and I thought the changes were pretty good improvements for the most part,but one thing kept nagging me, I felt like a lot of the new ideas were COD ripoffs (E.g. Drop packages, the prestige which not really prestige,Graphics was a huge improvement campaign wise and I really like the direction they took with the legacy of Master Chief in campaign mode. I am huge fan of Halo Multiplayer and I thought the changes were pretty good improvements for the most part,but one thing kept nagging me, I felt like a lot of the new ideas were COD ripoffs (E.g. Drop packages, the prestige which not really prestige, ranking to unlock item system). COD is amazing title but if I wanted to play COD multiplayer, I would go buy it. I think some ideas were needed to improve the competitive play (Ability to enter and exit games without handicapping teammates) but they lack originality. I personally thought the ranking system in Halo 3 was more impressive when a person's skill level was more important rather than his/her ability to not have a life and live on the game, just my opinion.…Expand

The story was the big selling point for me and while the Campaign is very short the story made me feel the same kind of sadness I felt for James in Silent Hill 2. The multiplayer is fun but lacks the kind of community Halo 2 & 3 had. The only thing I don't like about this game is the fact that Spartan Ops REPLACES Firefight.

Halo 4 showed us that 343 Studios can handle the series but I don't think they quite get it yet. Being a long time fan of Halo I noticed how Halo 4 felt and looked far too different from the rest. This could be the fact that it's made by someone other then Bungie but I still can't shake it off. QTE's are thrown in to change the pace and some cutscenes don't do the game any justice, theyHalo 4 showed us that 343 Studios can handle the series but I don't think they quite get it yet. Being a long time fan of Halo I noticed how Halo 4 felt and looked far too different from the rest. This could be the fact that it's made by someone other then Bungie but I still can't shake it off. QTE's are thrown in to change the pace and some cutscenes don't do the game any justice, they make it seem like a cruddy movie with poor shots and scenes. An hour in the game you're repeating some of the same things you had done earlier so it becomes repetitive and slow. The story to Halo 4 was also a dramatic change in the series. It goes from a simple super solider fighting off aliens to then giving him emotions for an A.I. Nothing is wrong with this but it doesn't fit the title of Halo at all. Enemy designs also don't fit the series and look as if the game is taking a serious Japanese anime turn. I mean really, a ridiculous flying orbs with an alien inside who has telekinesis and giant robots now? Halo has come a long way and 343 did a good job with Halo 4 but they have yet to grasp the series is really about. It was nice that they added a neat touch up to the multiplayer by adding a story line to it.…Expand

I think I must have overhyped myself because I didn't feel stunned by the visuals when I first popped it in. Yes, they looks great but I think I had seen to many screen shots that I really expected to be blown away but when I popped it in it was what I had already seen. Having read the two Forerunner trilogy books prior to playing this I was excited to see how the forerunner, given thereI think I must have overhyped myself because I didn't feel stunned by the visuals when I first popped it in. Yes, they looks great but I think I had seen to many screen shots that I really expected to be blown away but when I popped it in it was what I had already seen. Having read the two Forerunner trilogy books prior to playing this I was excited to see how the forerunner, given there history with the human race, would be poised in this game. For those of you have read both and then played the game you were certainly understand when I say that the game does a fantastic job of lightly tying into the books and then making major pieces of the game way better. Bottom line, the campaign was great and music made it epic, and it no way let me down which was a bit of a concern the month before launch. The online was quite a shock. It didn't feel like Halo, borrowed a lot from Call of Duty but it still felt true to its nature. It took some getting used to but now I love it. The various changes they made felt forced at first but once I though about it I felt like they fit better in the Halo universe than anything else I could imagine them doing and another online like 3 or reach was not an option so it was a good compromise. I dabbled in the first episode of Spartan Ops and I like that it was a fairly smooth experience and other than the occasionally crappy teammate who just killed everyone else, it was actually a lot of fun. Halo is definitely in my top 3 this year and with the amount I keep going back to it I expect it will continue to move up. As I know some people are Halo-adverse I can't say I would recommend it to everyone, but if you are the kind of person that has ever had the slightest interest in Halo, this is an awesome point to jump in.…Expand

Best Halo since Combat Evolved. I am not a Halo fan, ever since Combat Evolved you could say I've been a Halo Hater. Till now. I felt that Bungie squandered and incredible Universe by forcing us to play through campaigns with confusing and lackluster stories, that were set in a great universe with characters that had all the potential to be memorable. Also I felt that Bungie never took anyBest Halo since Combat Evolved. I am not a Halo fan, ever since Combat Evolved you could say I've been a Halo Hater. Till now. I felt that Bungie squandered and incredible Universe by forcing us to play through campaigns with confusing and lackluster stories, that were set in a great universe with characters that had all the potential to be memorable. Also I felt that Bungie never took any chances with updating Multiplayer. I can say with no doubt I trust in 343, they made em care about the characters, I actually enjoyed the story and the visuals and sound are second to none and did a great job of engrossing you. I also feel the Multiplayer with Spartan Ops is a great change and addition to Multiplayer and has had me fighting my way to 50 to get my first specialization…Expand

343i has tried to infuse some 'Humanity' into the story & tell a more personal tale about Master Chief's relationship with Cortana, but Halo 4 fails to evoke any emotions. This is in no small part due to Steve Downes boring monotone voice acting as the Master Chief. e.g Master Chief and cortana are aboard a derelict spaceship being sucked into a giant artificial planet slaughtering Aliens343i has tried to infuse some 'Humanity' into the story & tell a more personal tale about Master Chief's relationship with Cortana, but Halo 4 fails to evoke any emotions. This is in no small part due to Steve Downes boring monotone voice acting as the Master Chief. e.g Master Chief and cortana are aboard a derelict spaceship being sucked into a giant artificial planet slaughtering Aliens and they're just casually talking back & forth like they're sat in the waiting room for a dentist appointment - it's literally comical!

The campaign also suffers from some atrocious level design. For example there's a part near the beginning of the campaign where you(the player) must climb up an elevator shaft avoiding falling debris. This could have been a sweat inducing, heart pounding moment, that is, if if weren't impossible to fail. There's also precious little else like in the campaign which only serves to give the impression that 343 weren't given the creative freedom to experiment. This is a shame because things like more platforming is exactly the kind of variety Halo needs.

Finally the "Spartan Ops" mode is just awful. Lazy 10 minute missions on recycled environments(without scoring by the way) is pathetic replacement for Firefight. Besides if there's already a 4 player Co-op campaign why is this mode even needed? What were the developers thinking?

Just a quick summary of the some of the biggest negatives as the 'professional' critics seem to be totally incapable of intelligently critiquing the products they are given.…Expand

I was sort of bummed out by this game, maybe because my expectiations were too high. I mean, it is not bad in any way, but it is far from extraordinary. It looks amazing, the story is refreshingly different, the voice acting is top of the class: it is definetly Halo (SP campaign is not exactly long, tho).

Where it fails for me is multiplayer; the heart and soul of Halo. First off, whatI was sort of bummed out by this game, maybe because my expectiations were too high. I mean, it is not bad in any way, but it is far from extraordinary. It looks amazing, the story is refreshingly different, the voice acting is top of the class: it is definetly Halo (SP campaign is not exactly long, tho).

Where it fails for me is multiplayer; the heart and soul of Halo. First off, what happened to invasion? I loved that mode in Reach :( Slayer mode is fun as always, but the level design feels a bit off on some maps. The minimap colors isn't good enough either. All in all, I'm somewhat disappointed, but I should mention my expectations were sky high.…Expand

It's good, but it's not the Halo that I'm used too. First off, the campaign is fast and keeps you wanting to play. But 343i added some parts to the campaign that really shouldn't be there, mostly surrounding the Chief (Character depth, a "friend", and that brown-noser Latsky) Second: There was a lot of good customization, minus the lack of emblems. (Not too happy I can't have the emblemIt's good, but it's not the Halo that I'm used too. First off, the campaign is fast and keeps you wanting to play. But 343i added some parts to the campaign that really shouldn't be there, mostly surrounding the Chief (Character depth, a "friend", and that brown-noser Latsky) Second: There was a lot of good customization, minus the lack of emblems. (Not too happy I can't have the emblem that I have had since Halo 2) Multiplayer: Fast, fun, thought I wouldn't like the supply drops, but they add a good element. Disappointed that you need a certain trait to pic up ammo (Not to mention once you run out of ammo with your gun you're kinda screwed.)

Overall it's a good game, but if you're used to the Halo made by Bungie, this is going to feel different.…Expand

Honest opinion about this game. Graphics gave received a very nice upgrade, visuals definitely push the 360 to the limit with the occasional hiccup. Game play mechanics remains the same. Exciting start to the story that cannot be maintained throughout the campaign and falls on the short side of time. New enemies are cool, but old enemies and repetitiveness champion through the game.Honest opinion about this game. Graphics gave received a very nice upgrade, visuals definitely push the 360 to the limit with the occasional hiccup. Game play mechanics remains the same. Exciting start to the story that cannot be maintained throughout the campaign and falls on the short side of time. New enemies are cool, but old enemies and repetitiveness champion through the game. Multiplayer is still the same, which is a good or bad thing if you are a fan, some minor tweaks to loadouts and such. Overall an ok experience, just not a new or groundbreaking game.…Expand

From the beginning of Halo 4's conception, 343 was trying to take the game in a new direction. They wanted to incorporate what they determined the fans wanted. They tweaked the style and added in a lot of lore from the series. It was inspired and very well advertised. Campaign : Overall, it was a lot of fun. Although, I found it a little easy at times even on legendary. The musicFrom the beginning of Halo 4's conception, 343 was trying to take the game in a new direction. They wanted to incorporate what they determined the fans wanted. They tweaked the style and added in a lot of lore from the series. It was inspired and very well advertised. Campaign : Overall, it was a lot of fun. Although, I found it a little easy at times even on legendary. The music composition was very well fitted to the environments within the campaign. The bits of story they planted into the game was nearly seamless. It was 8 missions long and each mission was adequately sized, but it didn't take us long to beat it. I really didn't expect some long, drawn out campaign with spartan ops making its debut.

Spartan Ops : It's a pretty decent campaign spin-off. The ability to pick load-outs and respawn definitely adds an arcade feel to it, and it is much less frustrating to die when you spawn with your favorite weapons and armor abilities. The individual chapters are pretty short; they are comparable to the division of the campaign levels. Each one takes about 12-20 minutes. It is nonstop shooting. Just the way we like it.

Multiplayer : The reason 90% of us play halo. It did not disappoint. It added a few abilities never seen in halo and eliminated a few of the unnecessary ones. The levels are well designed, beautiful and I enjoy the faster pace set by the lowered shields and shorter recharge delays. The ordinance drops could use some tweaking, but I heard rumors of specializations allowing you to focus them on the weapons/power ups of your choice. I have yet to see it though...…Expand

Sorry Halo Fans but the only game I like to play for the most part did'nt show up this time ! . I only play at Heroic level and found a lot of the game play sluggish, especially the flight segments. The flight controls
are insulting and downright boring. Pretty disappointed I am but the story line was ok but left me questioning the logic of it all. The Diadec at the end changes it'sSorry Halo Fans but the only game I like to play for the most part did'nt show up this time ! . I only play at Heroic level and found a lot of the game play sluggish, especially the flight segments. The flight controls
are insulting and downright boring. Pretty disappointed I am but the story line was ok but left me questioning the logic of it all. The Diadec at the end changes it's apperance rather crudely. The graphics were pretty good at times but lacked depth overall. I hoped for more sadly not happily as a Halo fan should.

Where's the firefight for the people that don't play xbox live.....really!!!…Expand

Wow...is all I can say. 343 did a freaking fantastic job on this game. Goodbye bungie hello beautiful. The campaign was a riot. I had a lot of fun with the chief and that half naked robo-babe. The story was short but it includes spartan ops which is a fine addition to the game. Then there's the meat and bones of the game. The multiplayer is truly awesome. I tried getting into 3, odst, andWow...is all I can say. 343 did a freaking fantastic job on this game. Goodbye bungie hello beautiful. The campaign was a riot. I had a lot of fun with the chief and that half naked robo-babe. The story was short but it includes spartan ops which is a fine addition to the game. Then there's the meat and bones of the game. The multiplayer is truly awesome. I tried getting into 3, odst, and reach and they just didn't do it for me. They were great games but the multiplayer was made to cater to basement dwellers. This game I have jumped right in and have totally destroyed all. There's nothing better than hearing a hardcore teen scream in the mic how sucky the game is cause the battle rifle isn't the all end. It feels like 343 did the multiplayer right weapon wise. It seems all the guns have their own uses for different situations but the dmr and br are truly the killers. Whatever 343 did to stop the stupid bunny hopping players gets true nods from me. I love seeing someone jump all around to only get destroyed by me now. In the past if you bunny hopped, it seemed king. But no more. Anyways if your looking to get a truly awesome multiplayer game for the 360, then put your trust in 343. They eclipsed bungie. It's been a long while since I liked a halo multiplayer and I don't see me walking away from this one. I don't even think the new call of duty will get me away from this unless activistion does something truly great with black ops 2. But most likely it will all be nothing but hiding in buildings the whole game cause the sky is littered with helicopters, bombers, etc.…Expand

Such an amazing game can't stress that enough, great physics, color, detail, lighting, vehicles, weapons, I could go on and on..........................................................................................................................................................

Halo 4 itself has managed to give me many feelings towards 343i and the franchise they will continue to create. These feelings are excitement, blissfulness, tolerance, prejudice, rage, anger, hatred, and despair. YOU WILL LOVE THIS GAME BUT HATE IT AT THE SAME TIME! There are so many parts that I liked. Now the people below me are probably CoD **** stating that the game sucks so bad cuzHalo 4 itself has managed to give me many feelings towards 343i and the franchise they will continue to create. These feelings are excitement, blissfulness, tolerance, prejudice, rage, anger, hatred, and despair. YOU WILL LOVE THIS GAME BUT HATE IT AT THE SAME TIME! There are so many parts that I liked. Now the people below me are probably CoD **** stating that the game sucks so bad cuz there is no innovation, claiming that they copied from CoD when in reality the things they added came from a plethora of shooters. The game is innovative by adding in Spartan Ops and especially Spartan Ops. While I would like to strangle Spartan Jared Miller to death in the game, it allows me to have fun with my pals without having the ease of jet-packing around with rockets as how you would in Matchmaking firefight on Reach. Another innovative thing they added in was the Prometheans and the Forerunner weapons. Come on guys, they added a fifth faction into the game, the bad Forerunners.

So right about now you're thinking if I'm a noob or if I am biased. I am level 42 in the game so I've played a lot of Halo 4 since its release.

Forge is disappointing due to the removal of crouching in monitor (Really helps when not using Coordinates or Magnets) and the lack of terrain and space in the 3 maps. While that is disappointing, that doesn't mean that the innovative approach forgers have is obliterated. I've seen many good games that TheHaloForgeEpidemic has created. For example 5 levels.

Campaign is good for those who have read the books especially the Forerunner saga section. It will give you an inside look at people like the Didact, Master Builder, and the Librarian in the saga. So do the terminals in the game.

Many are saying that the DMR is OP but in reality it's that the other rifles are just underpowered in the game while the Boltshot pistol is in my opinion too powerful for a sidearm.

The Matchmaking are small but are lot's of fun. My favorite mode is Dominion while I hate Infinity slayer with a passion on BTB maps.

Overall this game should not be hated as much as the 474 people giving negative reviews are saying it should be. This game is a worthy successor to the franchise and 343i should continue their job tending to the franchise.

The game has incredible graphics, something I long wanted form a Halo game, the campaign is entertaining but feels short. The story is filled with potential but is lacks proper detail. The new enemies pose a new challenge and fun to kill just as much as the covenant, but some weapons feel useless against them. The sound is impressively good! The soundtracks are decent, a few stand out butThe game has incredible graphics, something I long wanted form a Halo game, the campaign is entertaining but feels short. The story is filled with potential but is lacks proper detail. The new enemies pose a new challenge and fun to kill just as much as the covenant, but some weapons feel useless against them. The sound is impressively good! The soundtracks are decent, a few stand out but don't compare to the classics. 343 did a really good job in half the game, but the other half is disappointing. Multiplayer is great, and people complain about not being able to pick grenades from ground without the perk but I've found them placed on maps, still better to pick them from dead bodies tho. What I have to complain is, that Spartan Ops is a good idea, and better than Firefight in some ways, it does not have the customizable options or sense of possible failure that drove Firefight to be fun and even intense at times. Another bad thing about Spartan Ops is it would have been better of as downloadable adds, or playable on disc like firefight so that I can still play and enjoy it EVEN OFFLINE, but no, instead i MUST have xbox life with a GOLD account just to play it, so i wouldn't be able to access it at all if I had no Live or internet. WHich for me is just terrible, not to mention that Theater mode only works only multiplayer and no campaign or Spartan Ops, and there appears to be no way to save an entire film. So so long for my proud no death legendary campaign runs I would save and later review on Theater lobby. Over all the game is a leap forward in Halo, but a step down in overall features. My review score would be 8.75.…Expand

This game is phenomenal, it has truly pushed the limits for the Xbox 360 and gameplay alike. It's graphics are astounding while the scenery can be jaw dropping. You feel amazingly small and that is a great feel for everything to be of an incredible size. The story is more in depth look at master chief and cortona. It was a nice change of pace to be fighting a new enemy and to see new typesThis game is phenomenal, it has truly pushed the limits for the Xbox 360 and gameplay alike. It's graphics are astounding while the scenery can be jaw dropping. You feel amazingly small and that is a great feel for everything to be of an incredible size. The story is more in depth look at master chief and cortona. It was a nice change of pace to be fighting a new enemy and to see new types of structures. The multiplayer was perfect, the weapons are all balanced in proportion for their use. Some maps feel a little sloppy in areas but for the most part are astounding and play well and leave no room for sitting around, which is fantastic. The change in loadouts, and passive/active skills have added whole new play styles to this already amazing game and will fit to any users liking.…Expand

Halo 4 offers something new and something old both in the best of ways.The campaign, for the most part, feels like a well thought-out and well-weaved story in the huge Halo universe.
The level design is fantastic, and varied, the last time a Halo game had this kind of variety in its campaign it was 2001 and Halo:CE was starting a FPS revolution on consoles. You are playing as Master ChiefHalo 4 offers something new and something old both in the best of ways.The campaign, for the most part, feels like a well thought-out and well-weaved story in the huge Halo universe.
The level design is fantastic, and varied, the last time a Halo game had this kind of variety in its campaign it was 2001 and Halo:CE was starting a FPS revolution on consoles. You are playing as Master Chief of course and there are plenty plot lines being weaved in this campaign of which I won't spoil for you here, but its particularly amazing if, like me, you are a generally a big fan of great science-fiction. The campaigns variety in level design greatly benefits from the game-engine, which is arguably 343 industries greatest accomplishment in Halo 4. The lighting and textures in this game are the best to-date of any Halo game before it, and quite possibly the most beautiful looking game on the Xbox 360 console. Of course, the engine is not only responsible for the eye-candy but also for the game physics and the sandbox dynamics Halo games are well-known for by the hard-core Halo fans. The physics in the game are great, the game always makes you feel like you weigh a figurative ton, the weapons have the signature diversity to them as well as their place in the sandbox. Halo games have always had varied weapons of which nearly all must be mastered to escape tight situations in campaign and most importantly, in multi-player. The sniper rifle, Rail gun, and sticky detonator come to mind when talking about this, it absolutely feels like nearly every weapon in Halo 4 was included to fit a definitive role while also being flexible enough to be used in not-so ideal scenarios for said weapons. Which could not really be said about every Bungie-made Halo game, with Halo 2, Halo 3, and even Reach, there were a few weapons that were pretty much ignored by the player due to not having a role in the sandbox that could be more effective than another weapon, Not in Halo 4, from the fully automatic weapons, to the pistols, to the precision weapons and power weapons, every single one of them feels like it serves a purpose in the sandbox and that is impressive. The same could also be said for the vehicles in Halo 4, they all have a role, and they all feel properly balanced, no one vehicle feels over-powered, if you know how to identify its role in the sandbox you can be very effective with it. It all really is quite a testament to 343s abilities, but there are bits and pieces, campaign-wise, that feel out of sync with the rest of the generally fantastic story, there was a certain point in the campaign where I pressed a total of 3 different buttons on my controller to get through a scenario where I felt like I wasn't actually in control of anything. I was simply playing through a scripted event where hitting a single button would perform actions that could be enjoyed more-so if simply viewed. Any and all events like the one above have always been handled by a cutscene where you would see the chief (not in first-person) perform his bad-assery, to "play" through something like that felt quite unnecessary and also felt a bit out of place when considering how the rest of the campaign plays out, if you're going to make a cut-scene the best thing to do is not give the player mediocre control, either he absolutely controls the character or he doesn't, that idea is what creates great pacing. Another example of a stumbling is when I found myself watching a cut-scene that lead to a level, I walked about 30 feet forward and then was presented another cut-scene, that also kills pacing, good thing is it only happened that one time, but it's there nonetheless to show us that this is a development team still trying to master that Halo signature pacing Halo games have been known for as well as trying to place their own stamp on a franchise that they clearly love. Aside from those small gripes, the campaign is fantastic and should be a memorable one, some will undoubtedly find some of the dialogue strange and different but after playing through it a second time, you really start to understand what 343i was trying to do with these characters. The Multiplayer in Halo 4 is nothing short of a great advancement in the franchise, considering all I've talked about in the previous section, the weapon balance and roles in the multiplayer side of things is even more obvious, and (again) the same can be said for the vehicles. The map designs are also well rounded from the small-medium-large. The multiplayer is where the games balance absolutely shines. Of course there are a few things you will notice off the bat that will have you question 343s decision making, like removing friendly fire from 4v4 slayer on-line but after quite a bit of time playing through all of its game types, those concerns fade due to the fact that the game plays so well as-is. Add the weekly Spartan Ops episodic content and Forge and you get one of the most complete game packages.…Expand

If I have never played Halo before I would give this game a 9 or even 10/10. However since I am a longtime halo fan and now that I've reached rank SR-41 I can say that the multiplayer is pretty disappointing. The campaign is well deserving of a 9/10, spartan ops is trash online and threatre only works for multiplayer currently. So a 7/10 is pretty generous. The multiplayer does matter moreIf I have never played Halo before I would give this game a 9 or even 10/10. However since I am a longtime halo fan and now that I've reached rank SR-41 I can say that the multiplayer is pretty disappointing. The campaign is well deserving of a 9/10, spartan ops is trash online and threatre only works for multiplayer currently. So a 7/10 is pretty generous. The multiplayer does matter more than campaign to me because it's the multiplayer that I will invest most time into and get my moneys worth. The multiplayer is does not have separated social and ranked playlists. This means that people who try so hard with a coordinated team to kick your ass are going to be matched up with people who are for the most part screwing around. Halo 3 had the most lasting appeal because it separated these types of players. In halo 4 you are matched by skill and rank. So when I started to get higher rank, games got more and more frustrating. Every time I get in a gunfight now I have to perform a song and dance just to get out alive and wipe the sweat off my balls from trying so damn hard, but I can't actually have time to wipe off my balls because this game has instant respawn. So unlike the Halo 3 social playlist, almost every single game in Halo 4 is stressful as **** I rarely have close games usually I get **** taken onto me. I'm by no means a bad player. I'm quite good but there are many better than me and because I played more than most at launch I got matched up with a lot of the best players. Because there is no separation of the highly competitive players and the casual players this game will get so frustrating no one will play it I guarantee. I already stopped. If you think $60 is worth a good campaign, Halo 4 has one of the best campaigns you'll ever play. The campaign does have one big issue though. It's hard to follow and in order to understand it you'll need to do research before or after it. The story is not very clear but the cutscenes are great and the gameplay is fun! Great game overall but multiplayer sucks right now. Check out my full war games (multiplayer) review here: http://www.343industries.org/forum/topic/17780-my-honest-review-of-halo-4-war-games-rank-sr-38/…Expand

This game is excellent. The Campaign is outstanding, continuing from the end of Halo 3 while refreshing it with some of the features from Reach. The graphics in Halo 4 look beautiful and the new sounds are much better than past games.

The Multiplayer is much more fast pace and the whole new Forerunner weapons are very fun to shoot. it is a excellent Halo game and a much betterThis game is excellent. The Campaign is outstanding, continuing from the end of Halo 3 while refreshing it with some of the features from Reach. The graphics in Halo 4 look beautiful and the new sounds are much better than past games.

The Multiplayer is much more fast pace and the whole new Forerunner weapons are very fun to shoot. it is a excellent Halo game and a much better improvement to Halo: Reach.…Expand

I can remember the days when I hated FPS and then I discovered Halo. Loved the new weapons and new race to fight. Loved the graphics. I can say that I had so much fun playing through the campaign with my brother in law and making jokes. If the walking dead hadn't destroyed my heart before I played this, I might have even cried when one of my beloved characters died. I think the beauty hereI can remember the days when I hated FPS and then I discovered Halo. Loved the new weapons and new race to fight. Loved the graphics. I can say that I had so much fun playing through the campaign with my brother in law and making jokes. If the walking dead hadn't destroyed my heart before I played this, I might have even cried when one of my beloved characters died. I think the beauty here is that they didn't try to teach an old dog any tricks. They just tweaked the same stuff we've been loving for years.…Collapse

The narrative is outstanding, even in spite of a few plot-point missteps, and the character evolution of Master Chief and Cortana deserves to be further explored with these wonderful storytellers (well, maybe one of them can't happen, but I'll avoid spoilers). However, the gameplay feels jilted, awkward and unrefined, three unforgivable sins in a landscape populated with other quite-capable FPS franchises. As a result, I'm going to average everything out: great story plus bad gameplay equals an average experience. And in this overcrowded FPS genre, "average" is isn't something I'd recommend buying.